DEVOTION: Be Still.

By Leila Halawe

“Be still, and know that I am God. I will be exalted among the nations, I will be exalted in the earth!” Psalm 46:10

Have you ever found yourself frantically rushing around trying to get yourself organised when your ears prick up and you think you can hear someone calling you? You slow your movements down, eventually coming to a complete stop and try to listen as hard as you can. I was in this very situation last night as I went to meet a friend of mine for dinner. She told me to park my car in the parking garage under her unit block and told me she would meet me downstairs at the elevator and walk me up. After parking my car, as I started making my way to the lift, I thought I could hear my name being called. I kept walking, but again, I heard this little voice calling my name, so I eventually stopped walking and just stood where I was, looking around to work out if there really was someone calling me. As I stood there for a few seconds, the voice got louder and I realised that it was my friend walking through the garage, calling out my name trying to work out where I was. As it turned out, she was waiting for me at the lift and when I didn't get there as soon as I should have, she realised that I was heading towards the wrong lift and went looking for me. 

My walk with God feels like that sometimes. When I find myself a little disconnected from God, or find myself feeling a little independent, I start making my own plans and walking them out. And without fail, I start to hear my name being called in some way, shape or form. It generally isn't an audible voice, more of a stirring, or a restlessness within that something isn't right that makes me slow down a little to work out what it is and where it's coming from. It eventually brings me to a complete standstill and when I finally stop, I start to hear the gentle whisper of God. 

We read in Proverbs 16:9 that a 'man's heart makes his way, but the Lord directs his steps.' Isn't that typical of us? I don't know about you, but there have been many times, too many to count, where God has had to step in and redirect my steps to align with His plans and purposes. There has been many a time when I haven't stopped long enough to listen to God's gentle whisper telling me which way I should go, instead barrelling on ahead and hitting multiple roadblocks along the way. We can often think that we know what's best, or what we need, but the truth is that we don't know best. 

Because only God knows best. 

God knows what we need. 

God knows when we need it.

God knows how He will provide it.

We can often forget that God created us and already knows the future. He has the victory already, which means that we have the victory through Jesus, so following His lead is the wisest thing to do. We just need to stop and be still. 

Seek His face.

Seek His heart. 

Seek His voice. 

When we put our faith and trust in Him, we won't be let down. In fact, when we put our trust in Him, we can be sure that we will be guided down the right road. That doesn't mean that the path He leads us on will be painless, or trouble free, or full of constant joy and happiness. No, we will all face those things, sometimes more than once and sometimes for long seasons, but when we walk the path He sets us for us, we can be guaranteed that He will go before us and sustain us. We can go the extra mile knowing that He will be there to lift us up. Knowing he will provide for us. Knowing he will be our comfort when the road is too hard to walk.

We just need to be still and know that He is God. Not was, not will be, IS. No matter what, He is God. 

As we go about our day today, can I challenge us to stop and be still before Him, if only for 5 minutes. Sit at His feet and exalt Him. Praise Him. Worship Him. And let Him be everything He promised you he will be. 

Leila (Lays) Halawe is a Sydney based coffee loving nonfiction writer and blogger. She has published a short devotional, Love By Devotion, and shares her views on life and faith via her blog page Looking In . You can connect with her via Facebook at Leila Halawe Author  and via Twitter at Leila Halawe.